Nightmares
by TheFigureInTheCorner
Summary: When the characters of Bleach have nightmares, what will make them feel better?
1. Ichigo's nightmare

Ichigo awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He pressed his hand to his damp forehead, eyes wide. Tears were dried against his cheek- tears he knew he hadn't cried on his own. He shivered; suddenly the room was much too cold for him, despite it being the middle of summer. Rukia opened the closet door and saw him awake, immediately walking over to him.

"What happened?" she whispered loudly. Ichigo's eyes narrowed and Rukia put a hand on his back.

"I couldn't protect them, Rukia… They all died in front of me… I couldn't save anybody…" Rukia understood what he was trying to say- he'd had a nightmare, and it was one of the worst that he could've had, one where he couldn't protect his friends.

"Do you mind telling me what happened?" she asked calmly, rubbing his back. She had always helped her friends in Rukongai get through the aftermath of nightmares, so this should be somewhat easy.

"Everybody I knew was dying, everyone who has helped me… Everyone was dying! Uryu, Chad, Inoue, Renji, Byakuya, Urahara, Yoruichi, Yuzu, Karin… Everybody died… You died, Rukia!" he said, his eyes widening with every word he spoke. Rukia's eyes widened slightly as well when he mentioned Byakuya, and then softened.

"Ichigo, it'll be okay. It was just a dream, okay? It was only a dream. I'm still here, Ichigo, I'm alive, it wasn't real," she soothed, rubbing her hand in circles. He calmed a bit before collapsing on her chest, the previous mix of fear and adrenaline gone. His breathing was still evening out as his eyelids drooped and he began to fall asleep again. Rukia stared at him for a moment before smiling softly. He was like a little kid… The same little kid he had been all those years ago, when she first fought hollows in Karakura. She hadn't known that little kid was Ichigo then, but since the day she met him, she had been piecing it together.

Ichigo seemed to be sleeping peacefully enough now, and so Rukia set his head back on the pillow. She hadn't realized that he was gripping her shirt until then, and it was a strong grip. She tried to pry his hand off when he mumbled in his sleep.

"Rukia… Stay…" Ichigo murmured into his pillow. She sighed lightly and sat down on the edge of his bed. Her fingers lightly brushed his hand, and then drifted toward his face. She brushed the damp hair away from his forehead, where it had been stuck with sweat. This went on for another few minutes, with Rukia playing with his messy hair, before tiredness overcame her. Rukia, having not wanted to get up, curled up against Ichigo, her head resting on his warm chest. She could hear his heartbeat, thumping steadily against her ear. It was calming, in a strange way, and she slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Ichigo woke up late the next morning, lying in bed for a few minutes before opening his eyes slowly. His eyelids were still heavy, and he just wanted to go back to sleep. He closed his eyes again before noticing the small weight on his chest, and he blearily lifted his head up to look. To his surprise, the small weight was Rukia's head.

"When did that happen?" he asked sleepily, not speaking to anybody in particular. Rukia stirred softly, slowly waking. She blinked a few times before sitting up, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Ichigo still lay on his bed with half-lidded eyes, which widened fractionally when he remembered the events of the previous night- his nightmare, Rukia's voice, her hand on his back. He sat up sluggishly, looking out his window.

"Thank you… Rukia…" he said, not turning to look at her. She looked up, surprised; Ichigo had been in such a messed up state when he woke up the night before that she hadn't thought he'd remember anything. Her surprise slowly ebbed away, and in its place was a warm, genuine smile.

"You're welcome."


	2. Byakuya's Nightmare

Alright, everyone! I'm back! Anyway... So, how'd you like the last chapter? I'm going to be away for a while, because I'm visiting my grandparents for Christmas and my aunts for New Years. However, I may be able to update over New Years. I won't have a computer at my grandparents' house, though, so that sucks. However, I won't be doing nothing. I'll still be writing, so don't worry. Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters. However, I DO own their nightmares.

Warning: Byakuya may be a little OOC. But then, everyone is. Come on, they were pretty much forced to sit in their biggest fears, or in Byakuya's case their worst memories.

Enjoy!

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><p>"<em>Byakuya sama, it's been a while," said a soft, kind voice. Byakuya looked at the source- his late wife, Hisana. His eyes widened slightly, in that aristocratic manner he always managed to pull off. He tried to reach for her, but she was always just out of reach.<em>

"_Hisana, wait!" he cried out as she began to fade, "Don't go!" But she was too far gone to do anything. He was alone in a vast darkness, unable to see anything. Voices echoed around in the emptiness._

"_It was your fault!"_

"_She died because of you!"_

"_She left you, Byakuya. You saved her from a life of poverty, you gave her your love, and what did she give you in return?"_

"_She left you!"_

_Byakuya was nearing a breakdown, the voices around him adding a weight to the air that was much too heavy for him. His hands flew to his head, covering his ears, trying to block everything out. He squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could- seeing darkness with his eyes closed was better than his eyes open. He sank slowly to his knees, his hair falling loose across his face. Nothing worked. The voices grew louder, louder, more and more. It was too much._

"_Byakuya, wake up!" the voices began to scream, and he looked around in confusion. Where had that come from? That was the only thing they would say now._

_And then he was falling, falling into the dark, endless abyss below him…_

Byakuya awoke with a start, concerned violet eyes peering into his.

"Hisana?" he whispered distantly, his voice cracking. The person shook their head sadly.

"Not Hisana. Rukia." Byakuya nodded his understanding slowly, realizing that his pillow was wet with sweat and… tears? He reached toward his cheek, touching it lightly with his hands. Sure enough, fresh tears were streaked on his face, and he wiped them away. It was still dark out, he realized, and turned to Rukia.

"Turn on the lights, please," he requested, his voice still hoarse and far away, and his sibling complied. She walked to the door, flicked on the light, and sat down next to Byakuya on the edge of his bed.

"That must have been some nightmare," she remarked, then as an afterthought, "It was about Hisana, right?" Byakuya nodded shakily; one of the few times he showed sadness or fear around Rukia, or anybody at all, really. He hadn't had nightmares like that for over fifty years, so why did he have one now?

Rukia nodded once, turning to leave. Byakuya shook his head at her, and she stopped, understanding. She sat on the edge of his bed, playing with a strand of his hair until he fell asleep, his breath coming in deep, slow, even breaths. She smiled softly at this as she left, leaving the lights on so as to make sure that he wouldn't have to wake to more darkness if he had another nightmare.

"Goodnight… Byakuya," she whispered, stepping softly out the door.

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><p>Eheh... That ended up darker than I thought it would... No pun intended. Well, whatever. Toshiro is next.<p>

And yes, I realize I just put Rukia in two chapters in a row. Deal with it, she isn't in the next chapter. Anyway, everyone in this story is a bit OOC. Don't hurt me.


	3. Toshiro's Nightmare

_Alright, this chapter or the next chapter will be the last update for a little while. But remember, I will be writing._

_Disclaimer: Yes, of course I own Bleach. That's exactly why I'm putting this on Fanfiction under a penname instead of in an official manga. Come on, guys, have some sense._

_So... Um... Just read._

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><p><em>Toshiro stood in a field, unable to see anything in the white. Thick snow fell heavily around him, creating conditions with zero visibility. His lips were beginning to go blue from the harsh cold, numbing. He had screamed for help, but nobody could hear him. Momo had been with him, but she died from the cold, her fingertips blue and going purple.<em>

_No matter how much he screamed, no matter how much he yelled, nobody could hear him through the howling winds. He continued walking, his feet dragging tiredly through the deep, wet snow that soaked his thin hakama. He pulled his haori tighter around him, trying to seek some kind of warmth. He found none, and shivered violently before collapsing face first into the snow…_

Toshiro's eyes shot open, and he curled himself up into a ball, shivering. He was only vaguely aware that it was only a dream, as it had seemed so real. He could still feel the freezing air hitting every inch of his body, the numbing of his lips, the rawness of his throat from screaming. He reached for a blanket, only to have his fingers brush paper and polished wood- he had fallen asleep doing paperwork. He stood and stumbled toward the door of his office, walking dazedly toward his room. He didn't even bother changing out of his shinigami uniform, curling up on his futon.

The door to his room slid open, and he turned to see who it was. Momo stood in the doorway to his room for a few moments before walking towards him.

"Is everything alright? I felt your reiatsu fluctuate," she asked, concern carved deep into her voice. The white haired shinigami stayed silent, only shaking his head minimally and pulling his blanket tighter around himself in answer. Momo knelt quietly beside him, brushing away the strand of hair that was always in his face.

"Well, what happened? You're shivering!" Toshiro mumbled something into the blanket, not opening his eyes.

"What did you say?" Toshiro slowly pulled the blanket away from his face, repeating what he had said.

"It was so cold, Momo…" he whispered into the moonlit room, "And you had died…" Momo gasped in surprise, pausing from pushing Toshiro's hair out of his face. Instead, she pulled him close to her, trying to make him stop shivering. Even if it was warm out, if he was still feeling the cold from what she assumed had been a bad nightmare, she had to get him to feel as though it really were warm. Slowly, slowly, his shivering stopped, and Momo went back to playing with his hair.

"It's alright, Shiro-chan. I'm here now, so don't worry," she whispered. But it fell on deaf ears; Toshiro was sleeping calmly, his breath warming her skin though her kimono. She smiled, "I would never leave you, Shiro-chan."

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><p>Next is Uryu, so look forward to it!<p> 


	4. Uryu's Nightmare

Alright, guys. Last update for now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Uryu. Or his internal organs. However, I wish I did. Own Uryu, not his organs. I don't want his organs. Or anybody's organs. That's just creepy.

Read the chapter!

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><p><em>Uryu cried out in pain, blood pouring from his mouth. He remembered this feeling, a feeling he could never forget. It was the feeling of his organs slowly being crushed, one by one. The feeling that he had so desperately tried to forget, but couldn't. He never wanted to feel that again, yet here he was, unable to see anything. The only sounds were his screams and his ragged, shallow breathing. The feeling was agonizing, only being able to sit there while you were being killed slowly, painfully. Ishida hated this feeling of helplessness, and yet he couldn't help but feel it and slowly, every organ in his body was crushed. He realized as his lungs were crushed that he was getting closer and closer to having his heart pulverized, and as it was, the worst pain came, and he lay there, unable to do anything but scream…<em>

Uryu awoke to the dark of his room, illuminated only by the moonlight that flooded in through his window. His heartbeat was erratic, and he fought to get his breath under control. He knew he was still alone, and wished not for the first time that his father-no, Ryuken- cared enough about him to sit by his side and comfort him. But he knew that would probably never happen as he lay alone in the dark, trying to calm himself. He stood after a few minutes, walking into his kitchen to get himself a glass of water.

"That happened over a year ago, so why am I having nightmares about it now?" he asked aloud, even though he knew nobody could hear him. The answer to his question was obvious, actually, and he could have answered it himself. He ended up doing so, silently.

'_It's because that feeling was a feeling that would haunt anybody forever. You aren't alone."_

He gulped down the glass of cold water, feeling a bit better. He closed his eyes and leaned against the counter, setting down the glass with a sigh. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, and so he walked into his living room and turned on the T.V., allowing the sound to drown out his thoughts. He flipped through the channels, and when he found nothing interesting turned it off, sighing again.

"Maybe music will help," he said aloud, the silence unnerving. Anything at all that could push away the silence, the silence that was so loud at the same time, would work. Anything to drown out his memory of the reverberating screams in the vast darkness. No, it wasn't the silence that was the problem, nor was it the silence. It was the memory of being trapped in his pain.

He picked out a CD with classical music on it and allowed the sound to float around him, filling the silence and pushing it away. He lay on his bed once more, closing his eyes and letting the music carry him away, into a more peaceful dream. His last conscious thought was a somewhat happy one:

'_Tomorrow I will wake up, and I will be able to see my friends. I won't be alone."_

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><p>Next comes Ulquiorra! Yes, our favorite Cuatro espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer, will have a nightmare. Why? Because he's awesome. That and I want to write a story with him in it (actually I am, but it's not on any websites- I haven't even finished the first chapter. Oh well).<p> 


	5. Ulquiorra's Nightmare

_Alright, guys. I think I figured out how I can update. If this doesn't work the way I want it to I'll take this chapter down and upload it later, when I'm home. Mostly this is a test, but if it works I'll leave it._

_Edit: Alright, vacation's over. I'm uploading this again with all the necessary changes (line breaks, italics, etc.), but you don't have to read it again if you've already read it.  
><em>

_Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to own Ulquiorra and Grimmjow, I don't own them. Sorry._

_Warnings: Grimmjow swears. Once. Slight mention of fighting, too. Nothing much, so if you're okay with that, continue._

Ulquiorra's Nightmare

Ulquiorra stood on the edge of a cliff, his clothes torn and bloodied from deep gashes running along his chest, arms, and legs. He turned toward the source of the deep, commanding voice behind him, controlling him. He could run no longer, and he was too weak to fight- this he knew. Emotions he had locked away came flooding back to him, overwhelming him; pain, fear, anger, sadness, hope, insecurity. All of them bubbled up inside of him, and the mask he had worked so hard to maintain slipped, shattering to pieces to make way for the feelings that had not shown for years.

"Ulquiorra, you know you can't defy me. It's no use trying to escape," the voice- Aizen's voice- echoed around him, trapping him, immobilizing him. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. He knew the words Aizen spoke were true- he couldn't escape. He couldn't move, and he had nowhere to run to. In Hueco Mundo, the only place he could go was to Aizen, for the vast sandy plains had nowhere to hide, and he would be found easily. There was no way out, and he was sure of this. He was cold to everybody, and had no friends. Anybody Aizen ordered to kill him would do so in an instant, happy to be rid of the ever serious killjoy. He knew their opinions of him, and they weren't good ones. Szayel would be happy to conduct experiments on his cold, lifeless body; not that he was actually alive to begin with. He was a hollow, and hollows were dead souls that consumed other souls.

No, he could not escape, and as Aizen shot forward to pierce him through the chest, right where his heart would have been if he wasn't a hollow, he was plunged into a world of black...

Ulquiorra shot up in his bed, the white blanket falling off his chest and onto his lap. His eyes were wide with fear, and his breathing was much faster than normal. He looked around the familiar room, his room, and felt a sense of relief. The room was dark and quiet, with no sign of Aizen. He pushed the blankets away, making sure his emotionless mask was in place, before walking from his room and walking out the large double doors. He wandered through the hallways, not going anywhere in particular.

"Why're you up?" a snide voice sounded behind him, and he wondered how he hadn't noticed the owner slip out of his room. He turned, too tired to seem annoyed, and saw the fifth espada standing against a wall, smirking at him. Ulquiorra sighed inaudibly.

"I know that you're going to proceed to ask until I reply, so I may as well tell you," Ulquiorra said, "I had a nightmare." Grimmjow smirked knowingly. He'd had his fair share of nightmares, tonight being no exception.

"What about?"

"Aizen was after me and I couldn't escape. I was on the edge of a cliff, injured and nearly out of reiatsu. All these emotions were flooding into me, and to say the least it was overwhelming," Ulquiorra said, finding that just explaining it was exhausting. He turned to leave and was about to when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you're alright now, aren't you? Aizen's not after you. Although, can't blame ya for being scared. Aizen scares the shit outta me," Grimmjow said, not smirking until the last sentence. And for the first time in a long time, Ulquiorra found himself giving a genuine smile.

"Thank you."

_Next is... Well, can't you guess from the chapter?_


	6. Grimmjow's Nightmare

_Grimmjow lay on his back on a bench in the dark of an abandoned church. He didn't know how long he had been there; he only knew that he was trapped. He hadn't meant to get locked in; he was playing around with his friends and they had closed the door, but they couldn't open it afterward. His friends had all died, and he knew that it was only a matter of time until he would die, too. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, and he closed his eyes._

_"How ironic, for me to die in a church when all my life I've denied any existence of a god," he said into the dark, his voice echoing off the walls in the large room. He smirked weakly, "I bet my family won't even miss me. Obviously they don't, or they would have found me by now." He stood, feeling lightheaded._

_"It's weird, really. Either way I probably would have died. I know for a fact that my parents were getting drunk when I left. I stayed out too long. They would have killed me..."_

_Grimmjow stumbled toward the front of the church, toward the steps. The world began to spin around him, and then tilted as the world faded to black..._

A sharp gasp echoed through the air as Grimmjow woke up, sweat beading on his forehead. He had had a nightmare about how he had died before becoming an espada. He swallowed and, realizing his throat was dry, got up to get some water. He opened the door, hearing footsteps, and waited until the figure had passed before stepping out.

'Ulquiorra,' he thought, seeing the shape of the helmet-like hollow mask fragment that Ulquiorra had. He leaned against the wall outside his room.

"Why're you up?" he said snidely. Ulquiorra turned, looking tired, and Grimmjow could have sworn he saw the short espada's shoulders heave slightly in a sigh.

"I know that you're going to proceed to ask until I reply, so I may as well tell you," Ulquiorra said, "I had a nightmare." Grimmjow smirked knowingly, finding it somewhat strange they'd had a nightmare on the same night.

"What about?"

"Aizen was after me and I couldn't escape. I was on the edge of a cliff, injured and nearly out of reiatsu. All these emotions were flooding into me, and to say the least it was overwhelming," Ulquiorra said, looking more drained with each word he spoke. He turned to leave, but Grimmjow stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you're alright now, aren't you? Aizen's not after you. Although, can't blame ya for being scared. Aizen scares the shit outta me," Grimmjow said, smirking as he spoke the final sentence. To his surprise, Ulquiorra gave a genuine smile.

"Thank you," he said, and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Doesn't matter, really," he muttered, "I had a nightmare too..."

"Well, what was it about? I told you mine."

"Nothing much, really. It was about how I'd died. I died on the steps of an old church I'd been locked in. Even if I had gone home I would've died. My parents were both abusive, and the first night I had been locked in they were drinking when I left. They woulda killed me, anyway," he said the last part under his breath. When he looked up, Ulquiorra was staring at him with what he assumed was understanding.

"Guess that makes two of us with abusive parents," he said. Grimmjow's eyes widened, and then softened- well, as much as Grimmjow could soften them.

"It sucks," he said, then remembered the reason he was walking around anyway, "Ah, I was gonna get a drink of water. See you, then..." Ulquiorra nodded.

"Yeah..."


	7. Rukia's Nightmare

Hey, guys! Sorry, this chapter is kinda short, but... the fluff...

ANYWAY, I finally decided to give a female nightmares!

Disclaimer: I only own the nightmares. Anything else belongs to the original owners.

Side note: Super tired because I just flew in from Iowa. On the bright side, I saw relatives I haven't seen in YEARS.

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><p><em>Rukia walked through the dark of the Kuchiki mansion, toward her brother's room.<em>

_"Nii-sama?" she asked, wandering around the room. Her voice wavered when she noticed the smell of blood filling the room, invading her senses. She slowly walked over to the bed on the other side of the room, eyes wide with fear for what she might find. She pulled back the cover, and screamed as she saw the figure lying there, soaked in the deep red of his blood._

_Byakuya._

_She could hear his voice calling her name, over and over, but he didn't move at all._

_"Rukia..."_

"Rukia!"

Rukia shot up in bed, eyes wide. She looked over at her brother, panting softly. His fingers rested lightly on her shoulder. It wasn't much, but... He was there. Rukia swallowed, staring at Byakuya. Her lip trembled slightly, her breath wavering. Byakuya stared back, genuine concern carved into his face.

"What happened?" he asked, now putting his full hand on her shoulder. She shook her head, closing her eyes, thick eyelashes brushing her cheeks delicately.

"There was so much blood... Your... It was your blood..." she said, her voice cracking. Her eyes began to tear up, and as the first tear fell, her eyes went wide once again, only this time from surprise. Byakuya pulled her into an embrace, rubbing his hand along her back.

"I'm here now though, aren't I? I'm not hurt, I'm alive, so don't worry. Don't worry, Rukia. It'll be fine," he murmured, rubbing circles on her back. Slowly, her eyes fluttered closed, her hands unclenching from his kimono. Her breathing evened out, and she relaxed in his arms. He laid her down on her futon, sitting back on his heels in a seiza position, and pulled the thick blanket up to her chin.

He stayed there for a few moments, just in case she woke again, and smiled softly as her peaceful face. She looked so much like Hisana, he thought, and stood to leave. He stopped in the doorway, looking back at her when he heard her mumble something in her sleep.

"Nii-sama..."

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><p>MY FLUFF!<p>

Next is... Oh, well... This is embarrassing... I don't know...

Ideas/ requests are welcome!

But I have decided!

Next is... *drumroll*

Kenpachi! *applause*


	8. Kenpachi's Nightmare

**Guess who's ba~ack!** **It's me again! Sorry about the semi-long wait...**

**Okay, it wasn't that long. It was only long compared to previous updates.**** Writers block. Just blame writers block.**

**Let's see...**

**Warnings: Bloody scenes. Surprisingly, it has no swearing. Also, look out for the OOC Kenpachi.**

**Um...**

**Just...**

**Yeah...**

**On with the story...  
><strong>

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><p><em>Kenpachi walked through the halls of 11<em>_th__ division, the smell of blood heavy in the air. He didn't care, really- what worried him was the source. He hadn't seen Yachiru in a while; for that matter, Ikkaku and Yumichika were missing too._

"_Oi! Is anyone in here?" he growled, eyes wandering around the long hallway. His eyes rested on a few drops of blood scattered on the ground in a trail, and he followed it. At the end of the trail was a sight that he was surprised to see, even though he knew he probably shouldn't have been._

_Yumichika was hanging from a wall by a sword that had been jammed through his throat, eyes wide. Fresh blood dribbled from his mouth, running down his chin. A large gash in his chest combined with the hole in his neck stained everything red- the walls, the floors, and the 5__th__ seat himself. Kenpachi turned, continuing to search for his 3__rd__ seat and lieutenant. He found Ikkaku not too long after, face down and pinned to the floor in a similar way to Yumichika. Kenpachi sped up, not stopping this time._

_He had to find Yachiru._

_He opened doors quickly, searched the room, and continued this in somewhat of a pattern. I was when he heard a slight, high-pitched whimper that he snapped the door open, peering in. In the center of this room was his lieutenant, pink hair stained crimson. He hurriedly ran toward her, kneeling next to her and picking her up gently, a very un-Kenpachi like thing. Yachiru's red-brown eyes opened slowly, and she looked up at Kenpachi._

"_Ken-chan… Don't be sad…" she whispered. Her hair was stuck to her face with blood- her blood- and yet she smiled the biggest smile she could muster._

"_Yachiru, you'll be fine…" Kenpachi said, although he himself was unsure- he spoke these words mostly to give himself some sort of consoling._

"_Ken-chan… I just want to say… One last thing…" a deep, gasping breath, then, almost inaudibly, she murmured something into his chest._

"_Thank you…"_

Kenpachi awoke to two concerned eyes staring at him in the dark. He blinked a few times, eyes wide, when he felt a small hand stroking his hair.

"Yachiru?" he whispered in the dark, his voice a deep rumble. The figure nodded.

"Ken-chan, are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine worry.

"Yeah, it was just a nightmare. Don't worry 'bout it," he said, "go back to sleep." The bubblegum haired girl nodded, standing to go back to her own room. Kenpachi turned onto his side, listening as the door slid shut. As soon as her footsteps faded, he sighed heavily into the dark.

"I told you you'd be fine."

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><p><strong>Alright. I'll admit I wasn't too happy with that one, but I needed an update.<strong> **Anyway, next** **will** **be Mayuri, as requested by... Someone. I don't know who, it was an anonymous comment.** **Hmm... How to give him a nightmare...**

**Ideas?**

**Also, requests are open. My rules are:**

**1- No bounts or arrancar. Espada, however, are fine, except the ones I have already done. No Arronierro, either. I don't know his character very well.**

**2- You may request any shinigami except Omaeda or Isane.** **Again, I don't** **know t****hem very well.**

**Also, if I have enough people who ask, I'll go back to Ichigo and type up his nightmare so you know what happened.**

**OH!** **I almost forgot! I made a picture for Byakuya'****s chapter on deviantart****!**

.com/art/Byakuya-s-Nightmare-276733409

**Ja ne~****!**


	9. Mayuri's Nightmare

**Hi guys! It's the long-awaited chapter of Mayuri's nightmare! Remember, when Mayuri goes to sleep, he removes his makeup. As such, in this chapter, he looks perfectly normal.**

**This chapter was hard to write, because I couldn't think of a nightmare to give him...**

**This was requested by an anonymous reviewer.**

**Disclaimer: I never have, and most likely never will, own Bleach. But one can dream. Sorry, guys, I'm not Kubo-senpai.**

**Read on!**

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><p><em>He was gasping for air.<em>

_He had no idea why, but he was in excruciating pain. It was a pain that shot through every inch of his being, gripped him, and suffocated him. He was surrounded by darkness, blind. He was unable to tell whether he was dying or not, or whether he was bleeding at all. He couldn't escape, couldn't scream, and couldn't think. He just lay there, trapped inside himself._

_He could no longer move, lying still, lying cold, and lying alone, because nobody cared. Nobody was there._

"_Nemu!" he tried to call, but only succeeded in emitting a pathetic, choked cry._

_Nobody cared. Nobody cares. Nobody will care._

Mayuri awoke with a small gasp, staring into the dim light of his room. He looked up, surprised when his keen golden eyes met stoic sea-green ones. Well, nearly stoic, anyway. A faint glimmer of concern flitted back and forth through them; it was there for a moment and disappeared in the next, only to return only seconds later.

"Mayuri-sama, is everything alright?" The robotic female voice, airy with a slightly deeper undertone to it, reverberated through the darkness. "You were calling my name."

For a moment, he lay there, blinking as he regained his senses.

"Everything is fine. Go back to analyzing the chemical we discovered." Nemu nodded, turning to leave.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

The door clicked shut behind her, and he sighed, waiting until her footsteps had faded before sitting up, then standing. He wandered around his room, looking at the drawings he had made when he was a kid. And for a moment, a single fleeting moment, he gave a genuine smile. He had forgotten about so many of these plans, and for a second he felt something he hadn't felt in years.

True joy.

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><p><strong>So, how'd you like it?<strong>

**I got a ton of requests from KurosakiChrystal18 just now... -.-;**

**So, the next character is Tatsuki! ^.^**

**Bye bye~!**


	10. Yoruichi's Nightmare

**Alright, first things first. I'm EXTREMELY sorry about the long wait, but I was busy and lacked inspiration.**

**Second of all, I lied about Tatsuki. I finally got inspiration for the story, but it was for Yoruichi's nightmare instead. I decided to just go with it, since you've all waited long enough... ^.^;**

**Now that that's over with, on to the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: I truly am honored that you think I'm Kubo-sensei (actually, someone did- read the reviews O.o). However, I can assure you, I am not, however much I wish I was.**

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><p><em>Yoruichi ran, panting heavily.<em>

'Shunpo,' _she mentally goaded herself, _'Shunpo.'

_But she couldn't._

_For reasons she didn't understand, she couldn't._

_So she ran._

_She ran until her lungs burned, ran until her legs went numb._

_She had to get there in time._

_She had to get there._

_She had to._

_She didn't._

_She didn't get to her in time._

"_Soifon!" she cried out, kneeling by the smaller girl's side. Her eyes, a stunningly deep gray, stared up at her, dulled slightly from their usual cold sharpness. Dulled like a blade, dulled so they were softer. Blood stained her usually pristine white haori, pooling beneath her and soaking the ground._

"_I… waited… Yoruichi-sama…" she whispered, smiling, reaching out for Yoruichi's hand. "I waited for you."_

_Yoruichi slipped her own hand into the more slender one, golden eyes tearing up._

"_Please don't leave…" she murmured, "Stay. Please stay."_

_It was useless, though._

_Soifon was gone._

Yoruichi jolted awake, finding that she had indeed been crying. She wiped the crystalline beads of salty water from her eyes and her tanned skin, sitting up and staring at the olive green blankets. Hearing the door behind her slide open, she turned, seeing Urahara standing in the doorway with a concerned expression.

"What happened? You were screaming," he spoke softly as Jinta and Ururu came in behind him. He stepped lightly over to Yoruichi.

"It… it's nothing. I just had a nightmare, was all…" She trailed off, averting her eyes from his gaze. Urahara placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here." And with that, he left, telling the two kids to leave her alone for now. Lying back on her bed, midnight-purple splayed out around her, she sighed, closing her eyes again.

Maybe tomorrow she'd go visit Soul Society.

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><p><strong>Alright! I (hopefully) should be updating a bit more frequently now. No more requests until I say so, PLEASE. I have a huge list as-is.<strong>

**I also won't be saying who's next, for reasons like today.**

**Please click the big blue button below! ^.^**


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